The most widespread public act of worship in ancient Greece was sacrifice, whether of grain or the blood sacrifice of animals. The temples of the Greek religion generally were not public gathering places where people gathered socially for collective indoor prayer; most temples held little more than a cult idol of the deity and the accumulated votive gifts, which might amount to a treasury. When we are told in studies of mythology that "horses are sacred to Poseidon" or roosters to Hermes, what this meant first and foremost was that these ani ...

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Ancient Greek religion, Ancient Greek religion - Overview, Ancient Greek religion - Worship, Ancient Greek religion - Theology, Ancient Greek religion - Mystery religions, Ancient Greek religion - Suppression of paganism, Ancient Greek religion - Revival of paganism

Read more here: » Ancient Greek religion: Encyclopedia II - Ancient Greek religion - Worship

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Ancient Greek religion, Ancient Greek religion - Overview, Ancient Greek religion - Worship, Ancient Greek religion - Theology, Ancient Greek religion - Mystery religions, Ancient Greek religion - Suppression of paganism, Ancient Greek religion - Revival of paganism

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It is perhaps misleading to speak of "Greek religion" as a unified system of dogma or ritual; perhaps the most conspicuous aspect of the religions practised in the Greek city states is their overall variety and their localism. Different cities worshipped different deities, sometimes with epithets that specified their local nature; Athens had Athena; Sparta, Artemis; Corinth was a center for the worship of Aphrodite; Delphi and Delos had Apollo; Olympia had Zeus, and so on down to the smaller cities and towns. Identity of names was not even a ...

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Ancient Greek religion, Ancient Greek religion - Overview, Ancient Greek religion - Worship, Ancient Greek religion - Theology, Ancient Greek religion - Mystery religions, Ancient Greek religion - Suppression of paganism, Ancient Greek religion - Revival of paganism

Read more here: » Ancient Greek religion: Encyclopedia II - Ancient Greek religion - Overview

Greek religion is the polytheistic religion practiced in ancient Greece in form of cult practices, thus the practical counterpart of Greek mythology. Within the Greek world, religious practice varied enough so that one might speak of Greek religions. The cult practices of the Hellenes extended beyond mainland Greece, to the islands and coasts of Ionia in Asia Minor, to Magna Graecia (Sicily and southern Italy) and to scattered Greek colonies in the Western Mediterranean, such as Massilia (Marseille). Greek examples tempered Etr ...

Including:

• Ancient Greek religion - Overview
• Ancient Greek religion - Worship
• Ancient Greek religion - Theology
• Ancient Greek religion - Mystery religions
• Ancient Greek religion - Suppression of paganism
• Ancient Greek religion - Revival of paganism

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Idolatry is the worship of an image, idea or object, as opposed to the worship of a supreme being. It is forbidden by some major religions such as the Abrahamic religions. Some religious authorities and groups have used the term to describe other religions apart from their own. Idolatry - Etymology. The word idolatry comes (by haplology) from the Greek word eidololatria, a compound of eidolon, "image" or "figure", and latreia, "worship". Although the Greek appears to be a loan tr ...

Including:

• Idolatry - Etymology
• Idolatry - Idolatry in many forms
• Idolatry - Idolatry in the Hebrew Bible
• Idolatry - Did idolators really worship idols?
• Idolatry - Were ancient Israelites ever henotheistic?
• Idolatry - Idolatry in Jewish thought
• Idolatry - Christian views of idolatry
• Idolatry - Muslim views of idolatry
• Idolatry - Eastern religions and idolatry
• Idolatry - Hindu views of idolatry
• Idolatry - Shinto views of idolatry
• Idolatry - Christian views regarding Confucianism as idolatry
• Idolatry - Buddhist views of idolatry
• Idolatry - Polytheistic views of idolatry in general
• Idolatry - Notes

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Polytheism is belief in, or worship of, multiple gods or divinities. The word comes from the Greek words poly+theoi, literally "many gods." Most ancient religions were polytheistic, holding to pantheons of traditional deities, often accumulated over centuries of cultural interchange and experience. The belief in many gods does not preclude the belief in an all- powerful all-knowing supreme being. In polytheistic belief systems, gods are conceived as complex personages of greater or lesser status, with individual skills, ...

Including:

• Polytheism - Overview
• Polytheism - Ancient polytheism
• Polytheism - Gods and divinity
• Polytheism - The Indic Traditions

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Roman religious beliefs date back to the founding of Rome, around 800 BC, but the Roman religion commonly associated with the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire did not start forming until around 500 BC when Romans came in contact with Greek culture and adopted many of the Greek’s religious beliefs including the representation of Greek gods in the form of humans. Private and personal worship was an important aspect of religious practices of ancient Rome. In a sense, each household in ancient Rome was a temple to the gods. Each household had an altar (lararium ...

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Culture of ancient Rome, Culture of ancient Rome - Historical and cultural context, Culture of ancient Rome - Social structure, Culture of ancient Rome - Customs and daily life, Culture of ancient Rome - Clothing, Culture of ancient Rome - Dining, Culture of ancient Rome - Education, Culture of ancient Rome - Language, Culture of ancient Rome - The arts, Culture of ancient Rome - Literature, Culture of ancient Rome - Visual art, Culture of ancient Rome - Music, Culture of ancient Rome - Architecture, Culture of ancient Rome - Sports and entertainment, Culture of ancient Rome - Religion

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see also Persecution of Ancient Greek Religion Ancient Greek religion was historically a community religion. Due to the vagaries of history, the christianization of Greece and the destruction of Greco-Roman culture was especially brutal. The modern Church of Greece... content to be added ...

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Greek reconstructionism, Greek reconstructionism - Continuity with the ancient world, Greek reconstructionism - Modern practice, Greek reconstructionism - Discrimination, Greek reconstructionism - Hellenism outside of the Hellenic world, Greek reconstructionism - Orthodoxy vs. orthopraxy, Greek reconstructionism - 2004 Olympic Games controversies, Greek reconstructionism - See Also

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During the Christianization of ancient Greece, many followers of the Hellenistic gods were punished and slain by Christian governors, and were wildly persecuted by the early Christian citizens. Historically those caught worshipping or making sacrifices to their gods were often imprisoned, tortured, and then killed. Sometimes the methods of execution included the forced drinking of poison in the public square, or public dismemberment, though they were more often cut down by early Christian fanatics. Hypatia of Alexandria is a famous example. ...

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Persecution of Ancient Greek religion, Persecution of Ancient Greek religion - Ancient times, Persecution of Ancient Greek religion - Modern day

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Roman religious beliefs date back to the founding of Rome, around 800 BC, but the Roman religion commonly associated with the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire did not start forming until around 500 BC when Romans came in contact with Greek culture and adopted many of the Greek’s religious beliefs including the representation of Greek gods in the form of humans. Private and personal worship was an important aspect of religious practices of ancient Rome. In a sense, each household in ancient Rome was a temple to the gods. Each household had a an altar (lararium), at which the family members would offer prayers, ...

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Culture of ancient Rome, Culture of ancient Rome - Historical and cultural context, Culture of ancient Rome - Social structure, Culture of ancient Rome - Customs and daily life, Culture of ancient Rome - Clothing, Culture of ancient Rome - Dining, Culture of ancient Rome - Education, Culture of ancient Rome - Language, Culture of ancient Rome - The arts, Culture of ancient Rome - Literature, Culture of ancient Rome - Visual art, Culture of ancient Rome - Music, Culture of ancient Rome - Architecture, Culture of ancient Rome - Sports and entertainment, Culture of ancient Rome - Religion

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Homer applies the Greek word ηρως to all free men who were fighting in the Trojan War. Another epic poet, Hesiod, uses it in the context of the Fourth Age of Men. The most common mythological meaning comes from the Greek poet Pindar, who presents them as the offspring of mortals and the gods or those who had done a great service to mankind.[1] Hero - Nature of hero cult. Hero cults were one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion. Greek hero-cults were distinct from ancestor worship: they were usually a civic rather than familial affair, and in many cases none of the worshipers ...

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Hero, Hero - Overview, Hero - The Greek Hero, Hero - Nature of hero cult, Hero - Types of hero cult, Hero - Heroes politics and gods, Hero - Later European History, Hero - Operatic Hero, Hero - The Modern Fictional Hero

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Homer applies the Greek word ηρως to all free men who were fighting in the Trojan War. Another epic poet, Hesiod, uses it in the context of the Fourth Age of Men. The most common mythological meaning comes from the Greek poet Pindar, who presents them as the offspring of mortals and the gods or those who had done a great service to mankind.[1] Hero - Nature of hero cult. Hero cults were one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion. Greek hero-cults were distinct from ancestor worship: they were usually a civic rather than familial affair, and in many cases none of the worshipers ...

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Hero, Hero - Overview, Hero - The Greek hero, Hero - Nature of hero cult, Hero - Types of hero cult, Hero - Heroes politics and gods, Hero - Later European history, Hero - The validity of the hero in historical studies, Hero - Operatic hero, Hero - The modern fictional hero

Read more here: » Hero: Encyclopedia II - Hero - The Greek hero

In ancient cultures religion and medicine were linked. The earliest known institutions aiming to provide cure were Egyptian temples. Greek temples dedicated to the healer-god Asclepius might admit the sick, who would wait for guidance from the god in a dream. The Romans adopted his worship. Under his Roman name Æsculapius, he was provided with a temple (291 BC) on a island in the Tiber in Rome, ...

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Hospital, Hospital - Terminology, Hospital - Types, Hospital - History

Read more here: » Hospital: Encyclopedia II - History

In ancient cultures religion and medicine were linked. The earliest known institutions aiming to provide cure were Egyptian temples. Greek temples dedicated to the healer-god Asclepius might admit the sick, who would wait for guidance from the god in a dream. The Romans adopted his worship. Under his Roman name Æsculapius, he was provided with a temple (291 BC) on a island in the Tiber in Rome, ...

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Hospital, Hospital - Terminology, Hospital - Types, Hospital - History

Read more here: » Hospital: Encyclopedia II - Hospital - History

In ancient cultures religion and medicine were linked. The earliest known institutions aiming to provide cure were Egyptian temples. Greek temples dedicated to the healer-god Asclepius might admit the sick, who would wait for guidance from the god in a dream. The Romans adopted his worship. Under his Roman name Æsculapius, he was provided with a temple (291 BC) on an island in the Tiber in Rome, ...

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Hospital, Hospital - Terminology, Hospital - Types, Hospital - History

Read more here: » Hospital: Encyclopedia II - Hospital - History

The Romans, identifying themselves as common heirs to a very similar civilization, identified Greek deities with similar figures in the Etruscan-Roman tradition, though cult practices were not usually copied. (For details, see Similarities between Roman, Greek, and Etruscan mythologies.) Syncretic gods of the Hellenistic period found also wide favor in Rome: Serapis, Isis, Mithras are syncretic deities. Cybele, as she was worshiped in Rome, was essentially a syncretic goddess. The Greek god Dionysus was imported into Rome as Bacchus, and the Anatol ...

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Syncretism, Syncretism - Social and political roles, Syncretism - Origin of the word, Syncretism - Syncretism in Ancient Greece, Syncretism - Syncretism in Rome, Syncretism - Syncretism in Christianity, Syncretism - Syncretism in Islam, Syncretism - Syncretism in the Bahá'í Faith, Syncretism - Syncretism in the Caribbean, Syncretism - Syncretism in the Enlightenment, Syncretism - Modern syncretic religions, Syncretism - Modern syncretic social movements

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History of sex - The West. In ancient Greece, the phallus was an object of worship as a symbol of fertility. This finds expression in Greek sculpture and other artworks. The ancient Greek male idea of female sexuality was that the women envied penises of males. Wives were considered as commodity and instruments for bearing legitimate children. Wives had to constantly compete sexually with prostitutes and slaves in their own homes. Ancient Greek men believed that refined prostitution was necessary f ...

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History of sex, History of sex - Sources, History of sex - Reproduction and cultural gender roles, History of sex - Sex in various cultures, History of sex - The West, History of sex - The East, History of sex - The sexual revolution, History of sex - Psychology and sex, History of sex - Same-sex relations, History of sex - Historiographic considerations, History of sex - The West, History of sex - Mesopotamia, History of sex - China, History of sex - Japan, History of sex - Wolfenden Report, History of sex - Psychiatry, History of sex - The sexual revolution, History of sex - Gay-rights movement, History of sex - Religion and sex, History of sex - Judaism, History of sex - Christianity, History of sex - Hinduism, History of sex - Politics of sex, History of sex - Technology and sex, History of sex - Recreational uses, History of sex - Natural birth control, History of sex - Artificial birth control, History of sex - Technology and infertility, History of sex - Pederasty, History of sex - Zoosexuality, History of sex - Prostitution, History of sex - Abortion, History of sex - Sexually transmitted diseases, History of sex - AIDS, History of sex - Syphilis, History of sex - Outside Reading, History of sex - Ancient Greece, History of sex - Homosexuality, History of sex - Sexual orientation

Read more here: » History of sex: Encyclopedia II - History of sex - Sex in various cultures

History of sex - The West. In ancient Greece, the phallus was an object of worship as a symbol of fertility. This finds expression in Greek sculpture and other artworks. The ancient Greek male idea of female sexuality was that the women envied penises of males. Wives were considered as commodity and instruments for bearing legitimate children. Wives had to constantly compete sexually with prostitutes and slaves in their own homes. Ancient Greek men believed that refined prostitution was necessary f ...

See also:

History of sex, History of sex - Sources, History of sex - Reproduction and cultural gender roles, History of sex - Sex in various cultures, History of sex - The West, History of sex - Mesopotamia, History of sex - The East, History of sex - China, History of sex - India, History of sex - Japan, History of sex - The sexual revolution, History of sex - Psychology and sex, History of sex - Same-sex relations, History of sex - Historiographic considerations, History of sex - The West, History of sex - Mesopotamia, History of sex - China, History of sex - Japan, History of sex - Wolfenden Report, History of sex - Psychiatry, History of sex - The sexual revolution, History of sex - Gay-rights movement, History of sex - Religion and sex, History of sex - Judaism, History of sex - Christianity, History of sex - Hinduism, History of sex - Politics of sex, History of sex - Technology and sex, History of sex - Recreational uses, History of sex - Natural birth control, History of sex - Artificial birth control, History of sex - Technology and infertility, History of sex - Pederasty, History of sex - Zoosexuality, History of sex - Prostitution, History of sex - Abortion, History of sex - Sexually transmitted diseases, History of sex - AIDS, History of sex - Syphilis, History of sex - Sexual orientation

Read more here: » History of sex: Encyclopedia II - History of sex - Sex in various cultures

Because of the scarcity of surviving materials bearing written Gaulish, it is surmised that the pagan Celts were not widely literate— although a written form of Gaulish using the Greek, Latin and North Italic alphabets were used (as evidenced by votive items bearing inscriptions in Gaulish and the Coligny Calendar). Caesar attests to the literacy of the Gauls, but also wrote that their priests, the druids, were forbidden to use writing to record certain verses of religious significance (Caesar, De Bello Gallico 6.14) while also noting that the Helveti ...

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Celtic mythology, Celtic mythology - Historical sources, Celtic mythology - Julius Caesar’s comments on Celtic Religion and their significance, Celtic mythology - Branches of Celtic mythology, Celtic mythology - Celtic deities, Celtic mythology - The gods of the ancient Celts, Celtic mythology - The gods of Ireland, Celtic mythology - The gods of Wales, Celtic mythology - The Dagda, Celtic mythology - The Morrígan, Celtic mythology - Belenus, Celtic mythology - Lúgh/Lug, Celtic mythology - Other gods, Celtic mythology - Temples, Celtic mythology - Celtic worship, Celtic mythology - The druids, Celtic mythology - Significance of Prophecy in Druidic Ritual, Celtic mythology - Modern remnants, Celtic mythology - Druidism?

Read more here: » Celtic mythology: Encyclopedia II - Celtic mythology - Historical sources

Because of the scarcity of surviving materials bearing written Gaulish, it is surmised that the pagan Celts were not widely literate— although a written form of Gaulish using the Greek, Latin and North Italic alphabets were used (as evidenced by votive items bearing inscriptions in Gaulish and the Coligny Calendar). Caesar attests to the literacy of the Gauls, but also wrote that their priests, the druids, were forbidden to use writing to record certain verses of religious significance (Caesar, De Bello Gallico 6.14) while also noting that the Helveti ...

See also:

Celtic mythology, Celtic mythology - Historical sources, Celtic mythology - Julius Caesar’s comments on Celtic Religion and their significance, Celtic mythology - Branches of Celtic mythology, Celtic mythology - Celtic deities, Celtic mythology - The gods of the ancient Celts, Celtic mythology - The gods of Ireland, Celtic mythology - The gods of Wales, Celtic mythology - The Dagda, Celtic mythology - The Morrígan, Celtic mythology - Belenus, Celtic mythology - Lúgh/Lug, Celtic mythology - Other gods, Celtic mythology - Temples, Celtic mythology - Celtic worship, Celtic mythology - The druids, Celtic mythology - Significance of Prophecy in Druidic Ritual, Celtic mythology - Modern remnants, Celtic mythology - Druidism?, Celtic mythology - Books on Celtic Mythology

Read more here: » Celtic mythology: Encyclopedia II - Celtic mythology - Historical sources